Arizona’s political landscape is heating up as Republican leaders consider legal action against Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes. At the heart of the controversy is a proposed election guidelines manual that some GOP members claim violates state law.
Each election cycle, the Secretary of State is responsible for updating the Elections Procedures Manual, which serves as a guide for county election officials. This year’s draft has sparked tensions between Fontes and Republican figures.
Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Steve Montenegro have voiced concerns that the draft, released in early August, contains elements that contradict Arizona statutes. “Mr. Fontes has a disturbing trend of skirting the law. If he wants to change the law, he should run for Legislature instead of being the secretary of state,” Petersen remarked.
Responding to these accusations, Fontes’ representative, Aaron Thacker, dismissed the claims as premature. “We just closed on the public comment period on Sunday, and on Tuesday we’re getting the threat, so I’m not really sure what the threat is about when the product isn’t even done,” Thacker stated. “It’s their prerogative to make criticisms, but the reality is that it’s a little early.”
In their joint public comment letter, Petersen and Montenegro highlighted issues concerning potential non-citizen voter registrations. According to the draft, if a voter is flagged as a potential non-citizen, election workers will notify them to provide citizenship documentation within a certain timeframe. However, the lawmakers assert that current law mandates county recorders to reject such applications outright and involve law enforcement for further investigation.
Additionally, the draft manual suggests election officials should reach out to those using the state registration form who fail to submit citizenship proof. Contrarily, the legislators argue that the law requires outright rejection of these submissions.
The Secretary of State’s Office is in the process of evaluating feedback from the public. Once finalized, the draft manual will be submitted to Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes by October 1. Approval from these officials is required by December 31.
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